Cellular telephones have become common place in today's society. Commonly these devices have become “smartphone” devices capable of installing numerous custom software applications that enable users to experience a greater set of functionalities than a traditional telephone device. While smartphones provide a wide range of uses and software applications for users, they are still limited to communicating using only the cellular telephone and cellular data networks or in certain circumstances, Wi-Fi networks.
The cellular networks are limited in several specific areas, commonly termed here as (a) grid inadequacy, (b) grid failure, and (c) grid congestion. Grid inadequacy occurs in areas where coverage is muted or absent completely. Large swaths of rural America lack dependable grid coverage, and recreational areas such as ski areas and hiking trails lack adequate, if any, coverage. At the same time, dense urban environments have pockets of inadequate coverage, or “dead zones.” Outdoor festivals may also have inadequate connectivity, or may suffer from congestion mentioned below.
Grid failure can be caused by natural or manmade disaster. Hurricane Sandy is a recent example of parts of the grid failing. Terrorist attacks have resulted in man-caused grid failure, such as in the case of 9/11. In these times, consumers will most want to be able to communicate with loved ones and the broader community.
Finally, grid congestion occurs when too many cellular phones operating on the same frequency are trying to operate in close proximity. While this doesn't affect connectivity over a handful or even multiple handfuls of units, in a densely populated area such as a concert, sporting event, or festival, connectivity can be problematic from exponential performance degradation. At large sporting events, concerts, or festivals, the traditional grid reaches congestion due to the physical limitation of today's network architecture. During these times, voice calls cannot go through and data connectivity is lost.
Unfortunately, the limitations of the cellular network do not eliminate the need for a cellular telephone user to communicate. In some circumstances, the need may be even greater when the cellular network is compromised. In these situations, handheld radios are commonly used to communicate. Handheld radios allow communication without relying on the cellular network and are able to communicate directly with each other. Unfortunately these devices commonly require specific expert knowledge and training to use and control.
What is needed is the ability to seamlessly couple a cellular telephone with a radio device which doesn't rely on the cellular network to communicate, or at the very least can utilize alternate communication methods as an intermediate step in connecting with an uncompromised cellular network. Further, this coupled radio device should utilize the capabilities of the cellular telephone to handle the complexity of the communications via a Software Defined Radio.